2009 Citroen C3 1.6L Diesel · PF09 CKA

A pattern of front suspension deterioration sits at the centre of this 2009 Citroen C3's MOT record, with the most recent test on 2023-03-07 returning a pass but carrying advisories on both rear brake discs. These rear disc advisories are not new; they were first noted on the failed attempt nine days earlier on 2023-02-28, which also flagged a seriously weakened nearside front upper Macpherson strut mounting, a damaged rear boot lid posing an injury risk, and a dangerously tread-deficient offside rear tyre. The strut mounting is the most structurally significant defect recorded, as a compromised top mount affects steering precision, ride control, and noise suppression over uneven surfaces, and its presence at the 2023 test means a buyer must establish exactly what rectification work has been undertaken since. Beyond that, an underlying chassis and suspension theme runs through the history: 2019-05-07 recorded both an oil leak and a worn nearside front lower suspension arm rear bush, 2018-05-17 noted play in the nearside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint and the offside front suspension arm ball joint, and 2019 also picked up a severely deteriorated offside front CV joint boot. The cumulative picture is of a vehicle whose front-end geometry components have been working through their service life at higher mileage, with multiple rubber and ball-joint items flagged across consecutive tests. Recorded mileage of 115,535 miles across seventeen years equates to roughly 6,800 miles per year on average, which is broadly typical for a car of this age and not suggestive of either neglectful storage or heavy commercial use. However, the testing cadence is uneven and worth understanding: there are no MOT entries between September 2017 and May 2019, a gap of around twenty months, before three tests clustered within 2020 and then silence until early 2023. This irregularity is common for older vehicles that may have been SORNed or unused during certain periods, and it means that wear items such as brakes, tyres, and rubber suspension components can degrade disproportionately when the car returns to active service, particularly if it has been left sitting. The mileage figures themselves are not recorded on the test certificates provided, so it is not possible to confirm exactly how the annual rate has fluctuated, but the buyer should verify the most recent odometer reading and service documentation directly. For a prospective buyer, the priority inspection items are dictated by the specific defects that have appeared in this record. The Macpherson strut top mount flagged as seriously weakened in February 2023 should be visually inspected for cracking, deformation, or compression of the spring seat, and on a test drive any clonking or steering column judder over bumps would suggest the mount has not been properly renewed. The persistent rear brake disc advisories mean the discs should be measured for wear and checked for lipping and scorching; under braking, any pulsation through the pedal, pulling to one side, or grinding noises would indicate the discs have worn beyond their second-life skim allowance. The earlier suspension arm bush and anti-roll bar linkage advisories point to worn compliance bushes and spherical joints that typically transmit as knocking from the front wheels over speed humps, vagueness in turn-in response, and imprecise steering around high-speed bends. The deteriorated CV boot recorded in 2019 will have worsened over time if not replaced, so crouching beside the car and looking for fresh grease splatter on the inner wheel or driveshaft is worthwhile, along with listening for clicking or snapping noises during full-lock low-speed manoeuvres. Finally, the oil leak advisory should be traced to its source, commonly the cam cover gasket or sump area on higher-mileage C3s of this generation, and the underside checked for fresh drips or a tell-tale whiff of burning oil from the exhaust heat shield after a run.